Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-07
Apples and tho Fruit Interests Of Texas.
70 z -.

10 the Editor OF the Gazette
Thinking that the question of raisip.
apples and other fruits in Texas nigh
prove OF some interest and eventually
profit TO the many readers of your val.
uaole paper, wish to make 2 few prac
tlcal suggestions to the farmers of GU
country N regard to raising fruit, espe-
claily apples. l will say before goire
further that practical demonstration Ct
the facts set out in this srticle may be
seen upon the fruit farm of Mr.. William
Mckinney OF Denton county in this state,
ana 70 whom | am largely INDEBTED for
the greater part Of my information con-
corning the propagation OF fruit and the
care OF trees. Mr.. McKlrney's theory, and
may say my own, is that OF the tap root
as opposed to that of surface root trees.
Inc ol1erence between the two and the
soYanteses to De derived by pursuing the
FORMER method over the latter by the
grower l will now try to demonstrate,
In most nurseries when seeding is one
year old the work of preparing trees for
Inc market commences. Now what is the
process In most instances the following
Is the method pursued, the seeding is
removed from the ground and the sur
iace roots are cut into sctions
ABOUT two inches long and the
variety OF fruit wanted grated on that
piece CT surface root. Now what the re-
sun: PROBABLY from one seeding fifteen
salap!e trees are obtained for market,
out OF which number, after they com.
mence bearing and are subjected to
drouth, only enc will come through all
rlsht. Many Will ask Why say only one
oa9 OF fifteen will stand the test, and that
Is J0st the point | wish to make. The
only tIee inst succeeds is the one that
was originally grated en- tae tsp root of
Inc orlglIai seedling-that one tree. is
Inc OILY che capable OF Withstaadlng
severe droVsn successfully while bearing
II hione oud CT the fifteen original trees
ms TAP root mat goes down deep In The
estfA ahu Inrnlshes life and vitality to
me Tree &nd keeps it in healthy condi.
non Wnen 1t 10 most needed, tha5 is II
TEE summer while the tree is frritiog.
me ground during one CT our drouths il, /
eIe hIsat ssy, almost devoid Cf moisture
Ter olsFance OF six inches from the sur
lace OF the earth. Now under those con
dl.lons, WEIGH we Gll EnGW 70 be fscs il !
llls state, IL Il reasonable 30 think = tree
Win only surface roots can be as healthy |
90 q IASV Wall JUN surface 2Ul in I'd |
dltlon strong healthy tsn root |
to sustain ii? and unless the tree is graft
ed on tap root, you Will never have one
10 your tree, IS there Is bread line q; .
ustlncti0n drawn By nature between
tap enc surface root, ald you may take il
as demonstrable fact that a surface root
Will not under any circumstances make
anything but g surface root. Even with
tap roots to our trees, however, we en-
not raise fruit without giving the 4treae
proper attention any more SUCCESSFULLY
taan you can cotton or corn. For in
stance, in Mr.. McKinney's orchard of
27er 1000 spple trees, embracing eighteen
Inherent varieties, upon the ciaseN in.
7estlgation l failed to find sipaiesborer
THAT great enemy OF apple culture in q
Texas. Neither did see o. sfiisia az az y
;aus I'd by rabbits; and wha aSfs Mss sin \
y because his trees recefSss the profsex /
tt,ention, and at the proper time. In lie Il
Gil $50 he told me- he rubs the bsTk near
ne ground with hog liver. After the liver